ALL HANDS ON DECK FOR THE NEW YORK EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT IN NOVEMBER

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TO: Interested Parties
FROM: New Yorkers for Equal Rights
DATE: April 9, 2024
RE: Grassroots Organizers Hold 25 NY ERA Days of Action Across New York State

Overview

Over the past month, grassroots organizers with the New Yorkers for Equal Rights campaign have hosted more than 25 day of action events across New York State. From Buffalo to Albany to Long Island, these gatherings have served as rallying points for community members, advocates, and activists to join together, activate their communities, and work to ensure the NY ERA passes this November. The NY ERA ballot measure is a historic opportunity for New Yorkers to protect their rights and reproductive freedoms in the state constitution, guaranteeing that New Yorkers, not the government, control their own lives, bodies, and futures — no matter who they are, who they love, where they come from, or what reproductive health care choices they make.

At the NY ERA anchor event in New York City, roughly a hundred New Yorkers gathered at 1199SEIU to hear remarks by heads of New Yorkers for Equal Rights coalition organizations, including Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts, the New York Civil Liberties Union, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, New Pride Agenda, Make the Road Action, and NAACP New York. These were followed by breakout sessions to facilitate organizer conversations around how the NY ERA might benefit and motivate their communities and how to best advocate for the amendment and activate voters within respective communities.

More than 25 NY ERA days of action took place across New York State over the past month, including:

  • Albany — League of Women Voters Rensselaer County Day of Action
  • Buffalo — The Young Feminist Party Day of Action
  • Long Island — Engage Long Island Day of Action
  • Ithaca — League of Women Voters Day of Action
  • Mid-Hudson — NYCLU Mid-Hudson Day of Action
  • Ulster — Indivisible Ulster Day of Action
  • Olean — League of Women Voters Cattaraugus Allegany Day of Action
  • NYC — New Pride Agenda Day of Action
  • Endicott — League of Women Voters Broome Tioga Day of Action

Grassroots organizations and nonprofits leading NY ERA days of action across the state include:

  • AAUW Westchester/League of Women Voters of North East Westchester
  • Buffalo Young Feminist Party
  • Cattaraugus/Allegany League of Women Voters
  • Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains
  • Downtown Women for Change
  • Engage LI
  • Indivisible Ulster
  • League of Women Voters of the City of New York
  • League of Women Voters of Rensselaer County
  • League of Women Voters of Tompkins County
  • Markers For Democracy
  • Nassau Community College
  • National Council of Jewish Women NY
  • The New York Civil Liberties Union
  • Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) Action Fund
  • Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic
  • The New Pride Agenda
  • Reproductive Justice Social Justice Team
  • Smithtown League of Women Voters
  • Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood
  • The Young Feminist Party
Key Highlights

Hudson Valley
Daily Freeman: Hinchey, Local Activists Rally in Kingston for the Equal Rights Amendment 
“Local activists and organizations rallied in support of the Equal Rights Amendment on Saturday, urging Ulster County residents to vote ‘yes’ on the ballot in November…Liz Roth, member of Hudson Valley Strong, attended the event, on behalf of Dutchess County. ‘We’re just trying to help each other as much as we can,’ she said. ‘This New York ERA is very powerful, very important legislation.'”

Buffalo 
WGRZ: Grassroots Group Makes Push for New York Equal Rights Amendment
“The Buffalo Young Feminist Party was getting the word out Saturday about the measure that it endorses, the group’s co-founder told 2 On Your Side.
‘To really get this movement going, and to get people talking about it, and get people aware that this is going to be on the ballot in November, and what it means, and who it will help, and really just create a community strategy going forward for the equal rights amendment in New York State,’ Sara Bachraty said.”
Long Island
Dan’s Papers: East End League of Women Voters Event Promotes NY Equal Rights Amendment
“As part of their efforts to persuade Congress to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment nationally, a local chapter of the League of Women Voters held an event urging East End residents to help pass a New York State version of the amendment, which will appear as a referendum on general election ballots this November. Officially dubbed The New York Equal Protection of Law Amendment, the measure has already been passed by the State Legislature. But it must be approved by voters in order to be officially adopted as an amendment to the state constitution.”Albany
Times Union: Local Leagues of Women Voters unite to promote NYS Equal Rights Amendment
“League of Women Voters chapters in Albany, Rensselaer and Saratoga counties are launching a campaign to promote passage of the Equal Rights Amendment to the New York State Constitution this fall. ‘It’s going to be on the ballot in November. We realize there’s a lot of people who don’t make it to the polls. We hope to remind people that this is a pretty big deal to encourage them to go to the polls,’ said Shirley Buel, president of the League of Women Voters of Rensselaer County.”
Olean
Olean Times Herald: League of Women Voters hosts Walk for Equality in Olean
“The League of Women Voters of Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties hope about 50 people who walked for equality in Olean will take the message they heard to the polls this November. A launch event on Saturday to bring awareness to an amendment to the New York State Constitution was held with supporters from Cattaraugus, Erie, Allegany and Chautauqua counties walking from Jamestown Community College to Lincoln Park in Olean.”New York City
Politico NY: Equal Rights Amendment push intensifies
“A campaign to get the New York Equal Rights Amendment passed in November will intensify its efforts by kicking off 25 ‘day of action’ events around the state, Playbook has learned…
They plan to gather more than 1,000 supporters from Buffalo to Long Island to organize and educate voters. Members include local chapters of the League of Women Voters and Planned Parenthood, 1199 SEIU, the ACLU, NAACP and immigrant advocacy groups.”
City and State: Building the strategy to pass an Equal Rights Amendment in New York
“Abortion rights activists gathered in midtown Manhattan at the headquarters of 1199SEIU on Thursday to start the campaign to pass the state Equal Rights Amendment…The organizing event also comes in the wake of national backlash around an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that effectively halted in vitro fertilization treatments in the state…Although it only impacts Alabama, the implication of the IVF ruling has politicians from around the country sweating – particularly in New York. Rep. Marc Molinaro, a first-term Republican in the Hudson Valley, became the first member of his party to support a Democratic-led bill to protect IVF last week. Fellow Hudson Valley Republican Rep. Mike Lawler became the second GOP member to sign onto the bill a few days later.”Gothamist/WNYC: New poll shows wide bipartisan support for NY’s Equal Rights Amendment
“Voters across geographic and partisan divides strongly support incorporating additional protections into New York’s constitution that explicitly protect reproductive rights and prohibit discrimination across a wider range of individual characteristics, according to a new poll shared exclusively with Gothamist…Supporters of the New York ERA kicked off a grassroots campaign this week to build on the support found in that data and to ensure voters statewide know that this initiative will be on the back of their ballot in November.”
Assemblymember Charles Lavine
I was honored to join so many dear friends at a rally this morning in Garden City organized by the @NYCLU in support of the New York Equal Rights Amendment. We must all do everything we can to protect women’s rights – which are HUMAN rights! @NYEqualRightsIndivisibleWestchester
New Yorkers want to know that the freedom to control our own bodies, lives, and futures is guaranteed.We have the power to protect our freedoms – by voting to pass the New York Equal Rights Amendment this November.Mary Freeman
I’m attending New Yorkers for Equal Rights’s event, “LWV X NYERA Launch Event [Cattaraugus Allegany]” – sign up now to join me!

@NAPAWF
In our equal rights amendment era! Last week, @napawfnyc joined the launch of New Yorkers for Equal Rights! This state constitutional amendment would expand the existing constitutional protections for race and religion – and add state protections for reproductive autonomy!

Downtown Women for Change
We’re joining @NYEqualRights to fight for the passage of the #NYERA – because no New Yorker should ever be discriminated against by the government, no matter who we are, what we look like, who we love, whether we have a disability, or whether we choose to have an abortion.

Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts
In New York, we don’t take our rights for granted. That’s why we’re so proud to be a part of the effort to pass the NY Equal Rights Amendment. This November, NYers will have the chance to vote for equality protections built by New Yorkers FOR New Yorkers. #NYERA #NYEqualRights

NIRH Action Fund
We’re joining New Yorkers to push for @NYEqualRights, a measure to protect and preserve our rights and reproductive freedoms across the state! Join our campaign: https://nyequalrights.org

Make The Road
Today, we’re joining @NYEqualRights to fight for the passage of the #NYERA – because no New Yorker should ever be discriminated against by the government, no matter who we are, what we look like, who we love, whether we have a disability, or whether we choose to have an abortion. Learn more and join our grassroots fight at https://nyequalrights.org

New York Immigration Coalition
No New Yorker should ever be discriminated against by the government, no matter who we are, what we look like, who we love, whether we have a disability, or whether we choose to have an abortion. Vote YES on the New York Equal Rights Amendment: https://nyequalrights.org

Assemblymember Hevesi
No New Yorker should ever be discriminated against by the government, no matter who we are, what we look like, who we love, whether we have a disability, or whether we choose to have an abortion. Vote YES on the New York Equal Rights Amendment: https://nyequalrights.org

Assemblymember Seawright
@NYEqualRights has launched an education campaign on the NYS Equal Rights Amendment. As the #NYERA’s Assembly Lead Sponsor, we encourage you to read about this historic measure.
Photo & Videos Highlights
NYCLU Nassau Chapter Rally, 3/23
League of Women Voters Cattaraugus Allegany Walk, 3/23
Downtown Women for Change Teach In, 3/21
Indivisible Ulster Honk & Wave, 3/30
About New Yorkers for Equal Rights
New Yorkers for Equal Rights, a ballot initiative committee registered with the New York State Board of Elections, was formed by a coalition of civil rights and reproductive rights organizations advocating for passage of the New York Equal Rights Amendment. The NY ERA is supported by New York-based and national organizations across New York. For the full list of NY ERA coalition members please visit https://nyequalrights.org/. 
 

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